Hi Everyone. My DH has a friend who is a paintballer in Canada and they recently swapped markers. They were basically the same value and when DH sent his he marked it "gift" hoping to avoid any fees for his friend.. well it didn't work and they are holding in some place and trying to charge this guy 240 bucks "Brokerage fees" I and my DH are so totaly confused and perplexed as to how this could happen or perhaps how we can avoid such a thing in the future. (Other than driving ot the border ourselves and personally handing it to this guy (Which might still happen if we can't get it cleared up.. have them return it to us and away we go!)
Are any of your familiar with stuff like this at all and perhaps have some insight for me?
oh.. the marker he sent to DH came through fine without a hitch..
Non Gardening Question for Canadian folks
There should be a value marked and it should stay below 25$ to avoid taxes.
Furthermore send it via USPS and avoid UPS by all means possible. UPS will charge brokerage fees, USPS doesn't. (Brown stinks for cross border shipping :)
I recently received a package where I got charged 40.00 for brokerage fees and it came with UPS. I asked about the rules as I have never had this happen before and have used UPS many many times. Here is what they told me. If the value is over $60.00 it requires a broker by law. I let them know it wasn't valued over that and it really wasn't. They pointed out that there was an insured value of $100.00 written on there by the shipper. If I wanted to leave the package they would inspect it to determine it's value and have the broker fees removed. I asked just what the broker did for this $40.00 if he had not looked inside. They told me that he has a room full of packages and he or she will open 1 in about 20 just to see that it checks out with what it is supposed to be. The other 19 slide through but they charge their money for each one over the 60.00 value. The shipper put down 100.00 thinking they would take better care of it if it had a higher value. The package had happy birthday and stickers on the outside of it. I pointed to that and said I couldn't leave the package as the birthday was today:) I didn't want them to open it as there was a plant in there. They didn't have anyone there that day to do an inspection so I paid the extra money. Lesson learned for me though my packages are always value at under the 60.00. By the way even if it is a gift they required a value.
Hope that helps a bit. Good luck and I do hope it works out for you.
Bea
Tell your paintballer bud to refuse it and send it back. I've done this more than once. It is the only way around this !@#$ moneygrabbing system
inanda
Thank you all so much for the replies! I wish we had thought to ask before sending. Yes the DH used UPS and his friend has asked him for a commercial invoice to get around paying the fee. DH has already sent that. He had told the guy to send it back but I guess he doesn't want to do that. Next time (If there is a next time) we will know better.
THe DH thought UPS would be more reliable that the USPS but now we know.. Hoping it works out
NEVER but NEVER use UPS to bring/send anything into Canada. They have the worst reputation of all the carriers with regards to brokerage fees.
ditto ditto ditto brown is the colour of you know what
sigh.... so many of your seem to be aware of this that it is making me wonder why DH's friend didn't know or suggest that we use the USPS. Hopefully it's fixed by whatever paperwork the dh has sent. I will let you know as soon as I do. Perhaps it will help if any of us dumb southerners do this to one of you
I'm with Ironwood. I NEVER, if I have a choice, allow anything to be sent by courier - especially UPS. Those brokerage fees can be more than the value of the item. I've also sent things back. Presently have a piece of my stainless steel flatware - a large spoon to replace the one that went "down the hole in the street" when my kids were little. I've been registered with a replacement company for over a decade waiting for this piece to show up. And after I e-mailed them twice, they got the message and will send it USPS.
Ann
Jazz maybe he never had something sent by UPS before. I've only had items sent by USPS (no problems there) so I was unaware of the brokerage fees. Many of the people that posted above are either business owners, or work for a business that often receives shipments from out-of-country, so they have more experience. The rest of us, like mommum (Bea) only discover the pitfalls of UPS after we've had a parcel sent that way.
Or after we read a thread like this one.
That makes sense Lilypon. In that case I am doubly glad I posted my question :)
So are a number of us. ;)
Me too! I am learning about this from everyone else as this thread goes along so you must let us know how it ends up. Crossing my fingers for you:)
Bea
I will let you know.. thanks guys
Does anyone know how and if such "broken" fees occur (say "Oh, cur!") going to other countries via UPS? (United Punch Suckers)
I'm full of it this evening...
I don't know James but it makes me wonder. I purchased a British edition of the Silmarillian off ebay once and while the shipping wasn't cheap it wasn't crazy. course it wasn't UPS either.. I wonder if they disclose such things at the UPS website?
As one who has bought many many books from all over te world, books do not have to go through a broker. Best book deal I ever had was when Powell's had about 16 or more books that I wanted. Qualified for no shipping costs on that order. Bag arrived by mail with no taxes/broker costs etc. 2nd hand books do not garner any GST in Canada. arrived Each book was nicely wrapped, in a duffle bag. This bag now goes with me each time I travel. Much easier than an extra suitcase. I've taken trees in it (made the WestJet staff newsletter that trip). Latest trip it held all my clothes on the return, as suitcase was full of eon labels and VW parts. Carryon was 4 ostrich eggs!!! Lots of excitement with Canada customs for that!!! They wanted to see them. The Ag inspector had to check them out. If you want to know why I had these eggs, google pysanky.
inanda
so post some pictures of how they turned out - those would be large colorful eggs. is there anything you don't do ginny???
Dh Got an email from his friend and the cost was reduced but he didn't; say how much.. as I said before, next time we will know better
Inanda just couldn't be happy with grade AA large chicken eggs, eh? Had to out-do everybody...
I second the motion for pictures.
I for one love the UPS guy. Anybody who shows up in brown shorts and has a good joke every day and has chosen an occupation that doesn't challenge his stress levels is my kind of friend. The packages are broken by the "Underwear Knomes" along the way. They are a pesky bunch.
Jazzpunkin..... Glad they reduced it, wished they had just done that in the first place.
inanda.... Your just to funny! What a good idea to do with the eggs. I once hatched a couple of Penquin eggs should have glue them back together and sent them your way:) They were a good size too.
Bea
what did you do with the penguins?????
Or perhaps- what did the penguins do to Bea?
I've always sent packages by USPS and have had no problems ever. When sending paperwork quickly, I was advised by the Dutch Consulate in Minneapolis to always use FedEx. Reason being they replace what they lose, not just the value of the paper that it's printed on - like the brown guys's policy. He told us a story that he knew abt - FedEx lost someone's passport or similar document from a third world country, they flew the folks free of charge back to that country in order to get new papers that had to be applied for in person. FedEx gets my paperwork everytime. :)
I'll send pix of the ostriitch eggs in a couple of weeks. They are in Winnipeg and i'm in Blissful WARM WARM Victoria at the mo
inanda
I recently received a packaga from Replacements Ltd. in N. Carolina. While they had promised to send it USPS, they actually sent it DHL Priority World and it cam through OK. Value was about $65 but I wasn't charged a brokerage fee.
Ann
Jagonjune......JamesCo.......
The baby penguins were so cute! They used to follow me all around the house hoping to get another fish for a snack:) Sometimes I would fill the jacuzzie with water and let them swim around. That is when they were small of course. Our family had so much fun with them. Eventually I know that one went to the zoo at Cincinnati his name is Opus. It was a perfect name for he was just as mischievious. Would love to go see him someday if I ever get to that part of the world.
inanda......... Oh you must send us some photos when you get back. In the meantime I hope you are enjoying our lovely city! I am heading out in the next couple days for Alberta. brrrr cold back there:)
Bea